Flowers From the Ashes
by MermaidMoon
Summary: Mikan is a runaway, leaving behind a dangerous family and carrying a dangerous secret. But when she meets the enigmatic bad boy Natsume Hyuuga who appears to be everywhere she is, she finds herself involved in an entirely new sort of danger.


**Chapter One **

**Alley Cat **

Just because something is necessary, doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. For me, running away from the toxic place I grew up in, was almost like cutting off an infected limb, necessary yes, but painful. It's funny how you can miss someone so utterly bad for you, someone so self-centered and frankly dangerous, someone who barely knew you existed in the first place.

My head rang violently with every step I took, my cheek was swollen from where my grandmother had slapped me, and the tears rolling steadily down my face weren't helping. I felt like vomiting, my emotions were so strong, such an odd mixture of pain and relief that I felt dizzy. I ran until I couldn't run anymore, and then collapsed on the pavement, ignoring the curious glances shot my way by passersby. I fished my beat-up cellphone out of my pocket, I had severed the limb and it was time to cauterize the wound, my hand shook as I dropped the phone on the ground, and smashed it with my boot. There would be no turning back now.

I wasn't completely daft; I had a back-up phone in the backpack that I had hastily packed in my hurry to get out. One that I had been keeping secret from my grandmother for weeks, it had my new life on it, in the form of a new job out of this blasted city. I hailed a taxi and grinned at the driver, wiping the tears and grime from my cheeks. "Shoryu please," I said as he squinted at me through his rearview mirror. He said nothing, but yanked the gear shift off 'park' and began the steady drive to the small village of Shoryu. I rested my head against the window and closed my eyes, breathing in the scent of stale coffee and leather. For the first time in 18 years I was almost happy.

-**PL4'/1|\|9 9R0\/\/|\|UP5- **

I woke up thinking I was back there, with my Grandmother. My heart was pounding rapidly in my chest, and I instinctively raised my hands to protect myself from imaginary blows. With a rush of relief and satisfaction, I realized that I was still in the taxi, heading towards Shoryu, towards freedom.

"How far?" I asked, timidly. I didn't like talking to anyone, especially strangers.

"About 25 Kilometers left, what did you say your name was?" he asked gruffly. I bit my lip, I didn't think I had told him my name, I had been hoping to avoid that bit.

"Mikan, ahh…Sakura Mikan," I said, the lie came easily, Sakura had been my mother's maiden name, I missed her so much. The driver did nothing, didn't even acknowledge that he'd heard me just kept driving. I laid my head back against the window, now all steamed up from my breath. I wasn't going to fall asleep again, I was too excited now, Approaching my new life I felt…free of course, but also somehow younger than I had ever felt, I suppose anyone would feel lighter after having the world removed from their shoulder's.

The taxi squealed to a stop, and I swiped my card in the credit card machine as quickly as I good, ripped off my receipt and bolted out of into the fresh air. Shoryu was a mountainous village, and the air was purer and cleaner than it had been in the city, it was also significantly colder. Pausing alongside the rode, I pulled an old tattered sweater from my bag and pulled it on over my tee-shirt, shoving my hands into my jeans pockets.

There were holes worn in my sneakers, and I made a mental note to buy new ones, I had been wearing these ones since I was 14. It wasn't that my grandmother never had money, she made quite a lot of it from her…business, it just never occurred to her to spend any on me. All that I had, I had worked for myself. I started babysitting pretty young, young enough to be babysat myself, and as I grew older daycares started seeking me out for jobs. With my friendly attitude and ability to get along with even the most difficult of children, I did alright for myself, when I turned 16 I took a second job as a waitress and again due to my chipper personality I made quite a bit in tips.

I saved my money almost obsessively, seeing my chance at escape and latching onto it with all I had. I kept my money well hidden, sewn up inside the lining of my pillowcase, just in case my grandmother came barreling in my room like she sometimes did when she was under the influence. In the end I had saved up almost 323004.00¥ for all my hard work.

My stomach grumbled noisily and I placed my hand against it, willing it to settle down, there was still quite a ways to walk before I even came across a convenience store. I fished my new cellphone out of my pocket and dialed up my GPS letting it lead me to the start of my new life.

**A/N: Hi guys! I've been trying to form this idea into a story for weeks now, I'm on my 3****rd**** viewing of Gakuen Alice and it's literally impossible to get it out of my head, it's one of those really good anime that just stick with you, you know? I really hope you like this, and that you review!**

**Thanks **

**Mermaid Moon **


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